Packtrains and Airplanes: Memories of Lonesome Lake

by Trudy Turner

Born in a remote homestead at Lonesome Lake in southwest British Columbia, Trudy Turner was raised in true pioneer fashion, without running water, electricity or cars. (Trudy learned to fly a plane in her twenties, but didn't get her motor vehicle driver's license until she was in her sixties.) Her parents began their homestead in 1912 and her family spent most of the twentieth century in that area working their small farms and living independent lives in harmony with nature and the animals that inhabit the region. In 1939, as a young girl of 10, Trudy's father gave her the job of feeding the near-extinct trumpeter swans that wintered in the region. He had begun the feeding program in 1933 and Trudy kept it up until 1989. When she was 24, Trudy started her own homestead, building a home with the most basic hand tools. Now in her eighties, Trudy reflects on her unusual life and eloquently describes her experiences growing up in a world that others may view as isolated and

424 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

Reviews

[Carol Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been amazed reading the stories of her father, Ralph Edwards, and his pioneering at Lonesome Lake near Bella Coola, B C. So I read daughter Trudy's memoir with similar enthusiasm. It's amazing that she would homestead a piece of land also at LonesomeLake. She is tough, hardy, strong, and opinionated. A good read though hard to follow at times, which she admits, as present and past are talked about at the same time. I love visiting the Bella Coola valley, and will soon read her first book, Fogswamp.